Book Review: Split by Swati Avasthi

SUMMARY:

16-year-old Jace Witherspoon arrives at the doorstep of his estranged brother Christian with a re-landscaped face (courtesy of his father's fist), $3.84, and a secret. It is about what happens after. After you've said enough, after you've run, after you've made the split - how do you begin to live again?


OPINION: 4 STARS

Pulling readers in from the start, this is an emotional, raw, and sometimes despicable journey through the world of child abuse and escaping it. I've read plenty of child abuse case studies, read books, watched movies- but some of what the father does in this book to both his sons and his wife is gut wrenching and sickening. Several scenes will stand out as something you want to forget but can't but there are also plenty of parts that are memorable for perfect reasons. Avasthi creates a perfect balance between the two, showing brilliant insight into more characters than Jace despite his POV.

Jace shows up with basically nothing and very unexpectedly on his brother's doorstep- a brother he hasn't seen in 5 years since Christian bolted from the family, finally having a way to escape the chronic abuse of their father. Naturally, that abusive hand- and the desire to take the hits for the mom- fell on Jace until he finally fights back and is kicked out. With nowhere to go but his brother's, he drives 19 hours only to be not welcomed. He is a vivid, painful reminder of a life Christian has worked hard to forget about; an easy way for a father who is still livid his son left rather than being forced to leave to find him; a way for his new life to crash down.

The constant push and shove between these brothers was often as hard to get through as some of the abuse because Jace really had no one left. Christian would do little things to show his brother he cared but when it came to the big things, he turned his back often, leaving the reader wondering what was really going on with him, when he would stand up for his brother, and what his priorities were. By the end of the book, Avasti turns Christian- someone that is hard to feel much for because he often seems too cold towards his own brother- into a person the reader can understand, can feel for, can maybe even appreciate.

The plot of this book moves at a steady pace, revealing information about Jace's past in a way to keep some mystery there but still give the reader an overall idea of the situation. With one major thing to look forward to, his mother finally leaving the abusive father, Jace goes through the motions of avoiding his brother, trying to figure out his brother's girlfriend who lives in the next apartment- Christian's way of living together yet separately, and handling work, soccer and school. All this combines to remind the reader constantly that while Jace is a teenage boy, dealing with everything that comes with that, he's also dealing with the aftermath of an abusive homelife and the lasting effects on him.

This ending is brilliant, having a few hitches that take the reader by surprise and make them believe that's how it will end before something else is added. This book also touches on the battered wife who doesn't just leave, the family who buys into the father's words about how it has to be done and how he won't ever be punished for it, and the kid who might be just a little too much like his father. All these facets of abuse are included, each in their own unique way, and tied together seamlessly to make the overall effect stronger. The writing stays true to a teenage boy while still pulling the reader in and Avasthi has made a fantastic debut. She is certainly a writer to watch, having all the right talents to pull off a gripping, harsh story such as this one.

Details:
Source: ARC received from author for honest review
Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (March 9, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0375863400
ISBN-13: 978-0375863400

Author's Website

Book Trailer

What Others Are Saying
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Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Should Be Reading.


"It's not that I'm afraid of him; dude's like two foot three. But he's wearing all his clothes and ten-hole Docs. I'm wearing a pillow." -- pg 137 in the ARC, subject to change.

You can check out that little bit of interesting humor and drama, plus a whole lot more, in Tom Leveen's upcoming release Party, releasing April 27 from Random House.

SUMMARY: It's Saturday night in Santa Barbara and school is done for the year. Everyone is headed to the same party. Or at least it seems that way. The place is packed. The beer is flowing. Simple, right? But for 11 different people the motives are way more complicated. As each character takes a turn and tells his or her story, the eleven individuals intersect, and reconnect, collide, and combine in ways that none of them ever saw coming.

Guest Author Post: Ryan Potter

I have Ryan Potter, author of the recent debut release Exit Strategy, here today to do a guest post about Why Guys Don't Read- And How To Change That. His book is definitely one that could appeal to teenage males, and not only because the MC is a teenage boy.

If you’re reading this right now, chances are you’re a female and you love to read YA fiction. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. I think it’s wonderful. However, I do wish more guys—especially those in their late teens—would read fiction. So, if you happen to be a male reading this post…well, way to go, brother, but unfortunately you’re a rare specimen.

Which leads me to today’s question. What can we as big-time book fans do to get guys to read more? Let’s start by looking at three reasons why I think guys don’t read. Now, this isn’t exactly scientific data or anything. I’m working purely from gut feeling and personal experience, so you’re welcome to disagree.

1. Younger guys don’t like exploring and sharing their emotions. Let’s face it. Guys are full of testosterone, which makes us way too competitive, and, I think, makes it very difficult for us to stay focused for extended periods of time. Staying focused, of course, is a key to being a good reader. In a way, then, our own biology works against us when it comes to reading. Puberty might turn a boy into a man, but all too often it turns a male reader into a male non-reader.
   
   
2. The traditional novels assigned in schools are, for the most part, extremely boring for today’s guys. Look, I’m not against the classics, but a seventeen-year-old boy obsessed with girls and sports will find it nearly impossible to get into something written in England more than 150 years ago.
   
   I use that example because that’s exactly what happened to me when a teacher REQUIRED me to read Wuthering Heights in eleventh grade. I never made it past page 50 and totally failed the mega-huge test the teacher gave on the book. Yes, WH is a “great work,” but I wasn’t emotionally ready for a novel like that. The story had no connection to my life. At home, however, I was devouring Stephen King novels because I connected with his stories.
   
   There is some good news here. Many public schools now offer excellent contemporary novel choices for students, but there’s still a long way to go. Bottom line: If guys aren’t interested in what their reading in school, they’re more likely to lose the motivation to pick up books on their own in the future.
   
   
3. Guys think reading fiction is a girls’ thing. Again, I think it starts in school and has a lot to do with #1 above. I had some excellent female reading and writing teachers in middle and high school, but I remember wondering why most of them were women.
   
   I’m guessing there are more males teaching English/Language Arts classes now than ever before, which is great, of course, but it still seems like a female-dominated subject area. That trend extends into YA fiction as well. Just look at the dominance of female authors in the genre. And who buys the books? Girls mainly. What I’m saying is that I think guys need more adult male role models in school when it comes to reading and writing.
   
   Hey, what if all of those football coaches were top-notch reading and writing teachers as well? Imagine that.
   

Back to the big question: What can we as reading fanatics do to get the non-reading guys we know to read more?

1. Recommend a book you think they’ll like, not necessarily something you liked. Pushing vampire books on a fourteen-year-old boy with dreams of being a professional athlete probably isn’t the best approach. However, casually suggesting one of the many excellent sports-based novels by Mike Lupica and/or John Feinstein might do the trick.
   
   
2. Take guys to bookstores. Any bookstores. I don’t care if it’s a huge Barnes and Noble or a tiny independent bookstore you can barely move around in. If you can get a non-reading guy inside, leave him alone and let him browse. I bet he’s thumbing through something within ten minutes.
   
   
3. It’s all about choice. I think choice is the most important factor in getting guys to read. Start small. Thick novels might be too overwhelming for a lot of non-reading guys. If a guy likes magazines, comics, and/or graphic novels, that’s awesome. They’re reading! Yes, in a perfect world everybody would love to read what we love to read, but that’s what book clubs and Facebook fan pages are for.
   
   So think about this: If you get to the point where you’ve worked your magic and have successfully turned a non-reading guy in your life into a “reading guy,” celebrate with a trip to your favorite bookstore and buy whatever you want.
   
   And be sure to bring your reading guy with you, because he might blow your mind and buy a copy of Wuthering Heights.
   
   But probably not.

Thanks Ryan for dropping by with that awesome post! You guys can visit Ryan online at his website!

Winners + A New Contest

I've picked the three winners for my Wherever Nina Lies Giveaway. Congrats to:

Adrienne, Donna, and Debbie

I've emailed all three of you-- you have 48 hours to get back to me and then I will have to pick a new winner.

And now... on to another contest! E.J. Stevens, author Shadows of Myth and Legends, is offering one lucky reader a copy of her book as well as some signed swag! This is a collection of dark faerie tales, inspired by folklore, myth and legend, told in a haunting and lyrical style.

The contest will end in three weeks on Sunday, April 11 at 6 CST. US Only.

Fill out this form to enter!

Want to find out more about EJ? Check out her website here.

In My Mailbox

IMM is a weekly hosted by The Story Siren

For Review:
Split by Swati Avasthi
Forbidden Sea by Sheila A Nielson
Something Like Fate by Susane Colasanti
The Gardener by S.A. Bodeen
Crossing the Tracks by Barbara Stuber
(Very big and special thanks to all of the above authors and their publishers)

Bought from Amazon:
The Body Finder by Kimberly Deirting
The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott
Shrinking Violet by Danielle Joseph

That's my mailbox... I'm still doing great with the whole don't buy very much thing. I'm proud of myself. I also cranked out a bunch of chapters of addict boy's rewrite... I've finished through chapter 18 in just over a week- granted I'm starting to be able to cut scenes from the first version and tweak to make them fit in this but eh. My goal is to have it finished by next week to start on the revisions/edits. I also got another new idea that is really freaking awesome... although I have no idea what to do with it other than the tidbits floating around in my head. But, it's on hold anyhow.

So what did everyone else get this week?

Author Appreciation Week: Post 5

For those of you long time followers of my blog, today's author should come as no surprise. She isn't YA/MG but I firmly believe there are several books of hers that should be read by teens. They hit hard on some rough issues, and while it is written at an adult level, I think plenty of teens have the mental capacity to completely understand them. If anything, it might even make it more realistic and give a longer lasting effect. Who is the author? You guessed it. My all time favorite Jodi Picoult.

Jodi has a long standing writing career, having just published her 17th- yes, 17th- book at the beginning of the month, called House Rules. While I haven't yet read it because my library is painfully and disablingly slow at getting in new books, the premise sounds fantastic. Jodi takes an idea- a question, really- and delves into it to come out with an amazing book. She knows the ending before she even begins to write and she has perfected the art of blurring the lines, casting something negative into an understandable light and changing a reader's view as the books progress.

Even more impressively, Jodi is cranking these books out- all hitting at a page length of 400-500 or more, at one a year. She also has an ongoing timeline between the books which take place in the year written, often bringing characters back and updating their stories to account for how ever many years have passed. From the initial idea to deciding execution to the research, Jodi keeps busy and still delivers them timely. Most of her books take on a legal/courtroom aspect which is one more area she needs to research, more characters she needs to create, etc. The final product is awesome but when you take the time to really think about everything that each of her books hold, it's impressive. For all these reasons, and plenty more but I will stop my gushing now (And face it guys, I don't often gush), I most definitely appreciate this woman and even if you haven't read her books (in which case, I think you are severely deprived), I hope you can appreciate everything she does, how hard she works, and what she adds to the writing world.

For information about all her books, appearances, who she is, and plenty more, check out her website. You can also find her on twitter. Or you can check out her books.